Mechanism for controlling the closure member for a passage opening



Oct. 4, 1966 K. E. HILFING ETAL 3,

MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE CLOSURE MEMBER FOR A PASSAGE OPENING Filed Oct. 21. 1964 FIG. 2

INVENTORS KAEL ERIK H/L F/NG SVEN B/RGE/ A /EEN A rm RHEY:

United States Patent 3,276,164 MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE CLOSURE MEMBER FOR A PASSAGE OPENING Karl E. Hilfing, Ornskoldsvilr, and Sven B. Agren, Gullahget, Sweden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Hagglund & Soner, Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, a Swedish firm Filed Oct. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 405,433 Claims priority, application Sweden, Oct. 25, 1963, 11,7 41/ 63 8 Claims. (Cl. 428) The present invention relates to a mechanism for operating a closure member such as a slidable hatch or a swinging door for closing a passage opening and, more particularly, to a closing mechanism of this kind including a safety device which prevents a continuing advance of the closure member towards its closing position when the closing path of the closure member is obstructed by an animated or unanimated obstacle, to prevent injury to a human or an animal and damage to any article which may have been inadvertently placed in the pathway of the closure member.

It is a broad object of the invention to provide a novel and improved mechanism of the general kind above referred to including a safety device which automatically interrupts the closing action of the mechanism when the closure member encounters an obstacle in its path.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved closing mechanism in which a safety device including a sensing or detecting means disposed in the closing path of the closure member, preferably in the limit position of the closure member when closing the opening, is actuated by the pressure exerted by an obstacle upon the sensing or detecting means, the safety device when actuated, stopping a further advance of the closure member.

Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved closing mechanism including a safety device which causes a limited return movement of the closure member when the same is stopped in its advance towards the closing position by an obstacle in its path.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims constituting part of the application.

In the accompanying drawing several of the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, of a closing mechanism including a safety device according to the invention applied to a sliding closure member, and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification of the safety device applied to a swinging closure member.

Referring first to FIG. 1 in detail, this figure shows the application of the mechanism and the safety device of the invention to a slidable door or hatch 10. Movement of the hatch into and out of its closing position is effected by a hydraulic drive means shown as comprising a cylinder 12 in which a plunger or piston 12' is slidable. The piston is drivingly coupled with the hatch so that the position of the piston in the cylinder will control the position of the hatch. The hatch, when moving into the direction of the arrow 14, that is into the closing position, coacts with a detecting or sensing device 16, preferably placed so that the tip of hatch 10 will coact with the detecting device 16 when the hatch is in its closing position. Device 16 comprises a two-arm lever 18 pivotally in counterclockwise direction about a pivot 20 against the action of spring 22. This spring urges the lever into a ice position in which it abuts against a stationary abutment member 24, that is into the illustrated position. As it is evident from the figure, an obstacle pushed against the respective arm of lever 18, which preferably supports a nose 18a of a suitable soft material such as foam rubber, by the advancing tip 10 will cause turning of lever 18 in counterclockwise direction.

Lever 18 is coupled by a suitable transmission or linkage diagrammatically indicated at 30 with a slide 26 of a safety valve 28. The aforementioned tilting of lever 18 will cause the slide to move toward the right from the illustrated position. Such displacement is utilized to stop the further advance of hatch 10 toward its closing position and also if desired to move the hatch a short distance towards its opening position, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Valve slide 26 supports a control piston 32 and includes a lengthwise control channel or duct 34 terminating at both ends in ports in the peripheral wall of the slide.

When slide 26 and piston 32 are suitably moved towards the right, as previously described, the two ports of duct 34 will connect a control conduit 36 with the cylinder space defined by the lefthand wall 28' of cylinder 28a of valve 28 and the respective face of piston 32. This cylinder space is also connected by a conduit 38 with the cylinder space in cylinder 12 to the left of piston 12'. It should be kept in mind in this connection that in the aforedescribed situation piston 32 will not be in the illustrated position but will be displaced towards the right. The righthand wall of cylinder 28a of valve 28 is connected by a conduit 40 to an operating valve 42 of the closing mechanism. The operating valve comprises tandem pistons or plungers 44 and 46 which are slidable in the cylinder 42a of valve 42. Piston 44 is formed with two parallel tranverse ducts 44a and 44b and piston 46 includes two crossing ducts 46a and 46b. The cylinder 42a further accommodates a control piston 48 which is rigidly secured to tandem pistons 44 and 46 by piston rods 50 and 52. The upper piston 44 is linked by means of a link 54 to a pivotally mounted operating handle 56. Downward tilting of handle 56, that is in the direction of arrow S, causes closing of hatch 10 and upward tilting of the handle, that is in the direction of the arrow 0, causes opening of the hatch, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. Springs 58 and 60 bias the handle into the illustrated neutral position.

Let it now be assumed that it is desired to close the hatch and that handle 56 is pushed down for the purpose. The upper duct or channel 44a of piston 44 will then connect a pump P of conventional design with the right side of working cylinder 12 through conduits 62 and 64. As a result pressure fluid pumped by the pump from a supply container 68 through a duct 70 will be supplied to the righthand side of piston 12, thereby moving the piston and with it hatch 10 toward the left, that is toward the closing position. Pressure fluid contained in the cylinder space on the left side of piston 12' will be discharged through duct 38, cylinder 28a of valve 28 (piston 32 being now in the illustrated position), conduit 40, the lower duct 44b of piston 44 and conduit 66, into supply container 68. If handle 56 has been returned in the meantime into the illustrated neutral position by the action of springs 58 and 60, that is into a position in which pistons 44 and 46 occupy the illustrated position, the pressure fluid delivered by the pump will directly return into the container 68 through the space 4212 between pistons 44 and 46 and conduit 66.

When it is desired to open the hatch and handle 56 is accordingly lifted, piston 46 is placed into a position such that conduit 62 is connected with the conduit 40 through duct 46a of piston 46. Accordingly, pressure fluid will be supplied through conduit 40, cylinder 28a of valve 28 and conduit 38 to the lefthand side of cylinder 12, thereby causing a corresponding movement of piston 12' and with it of hatch toward the right. The pressure fluid contained in the right hand part of cylinder 12 will be discharged through conduit 64, duct 46b of piston 46, conduit 66 into the container 68.

The cylinder space 48' below the aforementioned control piston or plunger 48 is connected with the discharge 7 conduit 66 through a conduit 72 including a control valve '74. This valve may be adjusted so that pressure fluid in cylinder space 48 is discharged therefrom at a selected rate of discharge. Cylinder space. 48 is connected by a conduit 36 to a port 36a in a cylinder 28a encompassing valve slide 26.

The operation of the aforedescribed safety valve is as follows:

As it appears from the previous description, the safety valve will remain inactive during closing or opening of batch 10 if the closing path of the hatch is not obstructed, or, in other words, if no control action is exerted upon the sensing or detecting device 16. Let it now be assumed that an obstacle such as a person is caught7 between the advancing hatch and the device 16, resulting physical pressure upon the detecting device will cause the lever 18 thereof to be tilted in counterclockwise direction as previously described. Accordingly, piston 32 will be forced toward the right and the pressure fluid discharged from the left side of the cylinder as previously described during the closing movement of the hatch, will now flow through conduit 38, the cylinder space between piston 32 and cylinder wall 28', dust 34 of slide port 36a, conduit 36 into the cylinder space 48' below control piston 48. Accordingly, pressure will be built up in space 48' depending upon the setting of valve 74 and this pressure will force control piston 48 upwardly and with it piston 44 out of the position in which pressure fluid is supplied to the righthand side of piston 12 through conduit 62, duct 44a and conduit 64. As a result, the advance of the hatch toward the closing position will be stopped.

The activating valve 42 Which is only diagrammatically indicated in the drawing and, more specifically, the ducts 44a, 44b and 46a, 46b thereof may be conveniently so arranged and dimensioned that upon actuation of safety valve 28 fluid pressure is fed into the space 48 to such an extent that the handle 56 will be swung into the opening position thereby feeding fluid pressure into the lefthand side of cylinder 12 for a period of time sufficient to move piston 12' a short distance towards the right and thereby hatch 10 a corresponding distance towards its open position. As soon as conduit 36 is closed, the further flow of pressure fluid into the space 48' below piston 48 will cease. Spring 58 will then force the operating pistons 44 and 46 back into the illustrated neutral position. As stated before, the pressure fluid in space 48' is discharged therefrom through conduit 72 including valve 74. This valve is preferably so adjusted that the pressure upwardly acting upon piston 48 is of a magnitude such that it is practically impossible, or at least difflcult for an operator to retain handle 56 in its depressed or closing position. Hence the handle will be automatically lifted When an obstacle is present between tip 10 and the detecting device 16 during the closing operation.

FIG. 2 shows the mechanism adapted to a swinging door 80. The mechanism and the functionv thereof will be evident from the description of FIG. 1. The corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals though primed.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without depart-ing from the spirit and scope of the invention,

audit is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by letters Patent is:

1. In a closing device for activating a movably mounted closure member for closing a passage opening, a safety device for discontinuing the closing movement of the closure member when an obstacle is present in the path in the advancing closure member, said safety device comprising hydraulic drive means for moving the closure member into and out of a closing position, said hydraulic drive means including an actuating cylinder-piston assembly having its piston drivingly coupled to the closure member, actuating conduit means connected to said actuating cylinder-piston assembly on both sides of the piston thereof for supplying pressure fluid to one side of the cylinder and discharging fluid from the other side of the cylinder to'cause movement of the piston and with it of the closure member into one direction or the other depending upon the flow direction of the pressure fluid, an actuating valve means included in said conduit means and operable for selectively reversing the flow direction of the fluid through said actuating conduit means to effect closing and opening respectively of the closure member, a control cylinder-piston assembly having its piston drivingly coupled with said actuating valve means for controlling the operation thereof, a safety valve meansincluded in a part of the actuating conduit means carrying the flow of fluid discharged from the cylinder of said actuating assembly when said actuating valve means is operated for closing the closure member, control conduit means connecting said safety valve means with the cylinder of said control assembly, said safety valve means being movable between an inactive position in which said actuating conduit means are open for carrying said discharge flow and a stop position in which the discharge flow is directed through said control conduit means into the cylinder of said control assembly whereby the piston thereof is operated to move said actuating valve means towards the position in which the fluid flow through the actuating means is in the direction for opening the closure member, and detecting means placed in the closing path of said closure member to detect an obstacle in said path, said detecting means being operable by engagement with an obstacle and drivingly coupled with said safety valve means to move the same from said inactive position into said stop position upon engagement of said detecting means by an obstacle.

2. A closing device according to claim 1 and comprising operating means for actuating said valve means to operate the latter selectively for closing or opening, the closure member, said control assembly when operated by the safety valve means overriding actuation of the operating means for closing the closure member.

3. A closing device according to claim 1 where said detecting means comprise a yieldably mounted detecting member, and spring means biasing said member into a position in which said safety valve means is in its inactive position.

4. A closing'device according to claim 1 wherein a discharge conduit is connected to the cylinder of said control assembly for discharging fluid therefrom, and a flow control valve is included in said discharge conduit.

5. A closing device according to claim 1 wherein said actuating valve means comprises a cylinder and a tandempiston assembly slidable therein, one piston of said assembly including ducts connecting the actuating conduit means for a fluid flow in one direction and the other piston including ducts connecting said conduit means for a fluid flow in the opposite direction, and wherein the piston of said control assembly when actuated moves the tandempiston assembly from a first position in which the ducts 6. A closing device according to claim 5 wherein said ducts in said tandem-piston assembly are arranged and dimensioned in a manner such that the fluid flow causes a limited movement of the closure member towards its open position and subsequent to the disconnection of the ducts effecting closing of the closure member due to an actuation of the detecting means.

7. A closing device according to claim 1 wherein said safety valve means comprises a cylinder and a piston movable therein, the position of the piston in the cylinder being controlled by said detecting means, said cylinder interconnecting said actuating conduit means for a discharge of fluid therethrough when the detecting means is inactive and connecting said actuating conduit means with the control conduit means when the piston is displaced by an actuation of the detecting means.

8. A closing device according to claim 7 wherein a slide supports said piston of the safety valve means and References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,832,588 4/1958 Newkirk 268-50 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

I. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CLOSING DEVICE FOR ACTIVATING A MOVABLY MOUNTED CLOSURE MEMBER FOR CLOSING A PASSAGE OPENING, A SAFETY DEVICE FOR DISCONTINUING THE CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE CLOSURE MEMBER WHEN AN OBSTACLE IS PRESENT IN THE PATH IN THE ADVANCING CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID SAFETY DEVICE COMPRISING HYDRAULIC DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING THE CLOSURE MEMBER INTO SAID OUT OF A CLOSING POSITION, SAID HYDRAULIC DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING AN ACTUATING CYLINDER-PISTON ASSEMBLY HAVING ITS PISTON DRIVINGLY COUPLED TO THE CLOSURE MEMBER, ACTUATING CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ACTUATING CYLINDER-PISTON ASSEMBLY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PISTON THEREOF FOR SUPPLYING PRESSURE FLUID TO ONE SIDE OF THE CYLINDER AND DISCHARGING FLUID FROM THE OTHE SIDE OF THE CYLINDER TO CAUSE MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON AND WITH IT OF THE CLOSURE MEMBER INTO ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER DEPENDING UPON THE FLOW DIRECTION OF THE PRESSURE FLUID, AN ACTUATING VALVE MEANS INCLUDED IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND OPERABLE FOR SELECTIVELY REVERSING THE FLOW DIRECTION OF THE FLUID THROUGH SAID ACTUATING CONDUIT MEANS TO EFFECT CLOSING AND OPENING RESPECTIVELY OF THE CLOSURE MEMBER, A CONTROL CYLINDER-PISTON ASSEMBLY HAVING ITS PISTON DRIVINGLY COUPLED WITH SAID ACTUATING VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION THEREOF, A SAFETY VALVE MEANS INCLUDED IN A PART OF THE ACTUATING CONDUIT MEANS CARRYING THE FLOW OF FLUID DISCHARGED FROM THE CYLINDER OF SAID ACTUATING ASSEMBLY WHEN SAID ACTUATING VALVE MEANS IS OPERATED FOR CLOSING THE CLOSURE MEMBER, CONTROL CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID SAFETY VALVE MEANS WITH THE CYLINDER OF SAID CONTROL ASSEMBLY, SAID SAFETY VALVE MEANS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN AN INACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID ACTUATING CONDUIT MEANS ARE OPEN FOR CARRYING SAID DISCHARGE FLOW AND A STOP POSITION IN WHICH THE DISCHARGE FLOW IS DIRECTED THROUGH SAID CONTROL CONDUIT MEANS INTO THE CYLINDER OF SAID CONTROL ASSEMBLY WHEREBY THE PISTON THEREOF IS OPERATED TO MOVE SAID ACTUATING VALVE MEANS TOWARDS THE POSITION IN WHICH THE FLUID FLOW THROUGH THE ACTUATING MEANS IS IN THE DIRECTION FOR OPENING THE CLOSURE MEMBER, AND DETECTING MEANS PLACED IN THE CLOSING PATH OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER TO DETECT AN OBSTACLE IN SAID PATH, SAID DETECTING MEANS BEING OPERABLE BY ENGAGEMENT WITH AN OBSTACLE AND DRIVINGLY COUPLED WITH SAID SAFETY VALVE MEANS TO MOVE THE SAME FROM SAID INACTIVE POSITION INTO SAID STOP POSITION UPON ENGAGEMENT OF SAID DETECTING MEANS BY AN OBSTACLE. 